


Survivor

by FallenNiji



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Agender Ginny Weasley, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, F/F, F/M, Female Harry Potter, Female Slash, Genderfluid Harry, Genderfluid Viper, I think?, I'm not good with tags so sorry, Inspired by Fanfiction, Inspired by Kuroyuki_Kokuyoku's Acedia, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, More tags to be added, Multi, Original Character(s), Peverells are immortal, Psychics, Ravenclaw Harry, Shameless as hell Ginny, Stuntwoman, They still don't know how they got them, Viper accidentally acquired children, Viper would like her sanity back, no seriously, she doesn't give a fuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2018-12-26 01:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12048564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenNiji/pseuds/FallenNiji
Summary: Viper was never strong, but they know how to get what they wanted. And Viper wanted to survive. They've survived one Hell and came out on top, so why would the Mafia be any different?Viper's a survivor, never a hero. They will do anything to further their own gain and protect their own. Viper's a Misty Cloud after all, and Checkerface will rue the day he dragged her children into a world they should've stayed far away from.Or; In which Viper was not always Viper, and, due to a little accident, history is changed, love is formed, and a child dies.(Inspired by Kuroyuki_Kokuyoku's 'Acedia'.)





	1. This Little... Well, Viper?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kuroyuki_Kokuyoku](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuroyuki_Kokuyoku/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Acedia](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11573370) by [Kuroyuki_Kokuyoku](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuroyuki_Kokuyoku/pseuds/Kuroyuki_Kokuyoku). 



> Well, I'm a horrible author with a lot on my mind, so updates are gonna be sparse. Sorry. I started the second chapter at least. 
> 
> Sorry for the grammer mistakes and everything. I'm not a pro, just a barely teenager with school to deal with in Slovakia. 
> 
> This was inspired by Kuroyuki_Kokuyoku's 'Acedia', a fanfic which you all should check out! It's amazing!
> 
> I was listening to 'This Little Girl' by Cady Groves while writing this.

Contrary to popular belief, Viper has a very good memory unlike most dyspraxic children. Which meant that they remember everything about magic and Before pretty damn well. That also means that they know their aunt is a jealous bitch and their parents were respected people.

 

(Terrifying too.)

 

(Where do you think Viper got their vindictive streak from?)

 

They remembers their mother's gentle emerald eyes, so unlike their own heartless ones. Viper remembers how they used to tangle their chubby fingers into her long red locks. They remember the soothing scent of thunderstorms, wild lilies and pork.

 

(Viper remembers quite well what Lily did to James when he tried to sneak away one of her pork chops. _Never again_ , they promised themselves. _Never again_.)

 

They remember their father's eyes fillied with mischief as he pranked their Godfather Padfoot, his eyes the brightest shade of hazel. His hair was the exact shade of the dark chocolate that their fat cousin despised, but resembled more of a bird's nest than anything. A trait they had inherited from him. Unlike their mother, he had the cheerful scent of sunshine, forests after rain, and chocolate chip cookies.

 

(Viper will _never_ mention the incident which they vaguely remember, always in embarrassment and frustration, when they tried to eat James's hair. _Never_.)

 

They know why the Dursleys make (or made, if you take into account the years after her eighth year of life) them do chores, why they make (Viper is very smug to say _made_ ) them have worse grades than Dudley when they revealed they were obviously a genius (particularly in the Maths department), and why they treated them less than a person.

 

Viper hated it. 

 

They hated how Petunia always shoved them into oversized wool dresses and how uncomfortable it made them feel. They hated how they were expected to act like 'a proper girl', never curse or backtalk, and always listen to men like a proper lady. They hated how they were locked into their poor excuse of a bedroom and later forced to do chores. 

 

(Gardening was probably the only bright side. They liked flowers.)

 

(Coincidentally, they made their first friend in the garden.)

 

So they did everything they could to piss their relatives off. From occasionally dressing up as a boy (how they got the well fitting male clothes the small family will never know) to hanging out in the dangerous parts of Surrey and charging people for the smallest of things. (The gangs had a healthy fear of the small green eyed demon after the incident with Lorenzo.) They got quite a deal for that. Who knew people would pay millions to find people were?

 

(Though the fact that they were searching for these people _was_ questionable, Viper was content with not getting involved in their business. They were only in this for the money and pissing her relatives off after all. They didn't care if the people were going to die.)

 

(People always did call them a cold-hearted bitch.)

 

The Dursleys were furious, but what could they do? Viper was quite famous (or rather, _infamous_ ) with the people down in the shadier parts of town, and they would come asking if the strange kid that made Boss Lorenzo cry like a baby went missing for long periods of time. 

 

So the Dursleys gave them extra chores, less food, and a slap or two on the face for making them look bad.

 

Viper didn't care about her relatives. While the chores (bar gardening) were tiring, they could easily sneak out to buy some food if they were really hungry. And the less said about what they did to Vernon about the slaps the better.

 

(Who knew he could scream like a girl when confronted with a car full of worms and spiders?)

 

(Coincidentally, they had stolen a camera from the store a few months back, and the blackmail was _pure gold_.)

 

To make them even more pissed, Viper took to ripping the ugly secondhand dresses up with scissors they found in their aunt's sewing kit. They refused to act like a proper girl (okay, they did, but only when needed), going from backtalking to cursing occasionally and mastering the art of sarcasm.

 

Sarcasm was her weapon.

 

When they turned eight, they refused to listen to the Dursleys any longer and did something that they hadn't the guts to do before.

 

They did better in school, much better than Dudley, and the teachers (specifically the gentle Maths teacher Mrs. Barbados) adored her. Thye ignored her sarcasm and clinical way of viewing the world, and refused to listen to the Dursleys when they told her she was a liar and cheater.

 

(Well, she _was_ a liar.)

 

Aster Potter was many things, but a cheater they were not. The teachers thought their want of being called 'Viper' was adorable, so they complied to their wishes to see their very _rare_ (and smug) smile.

 

So what if the girl dressed up as a boy and preferred to be addressed as 'he' that day, and the next 'they'? So what if the girl tended to fall, trip, bump into things and people, was easily worn out and bad at sports? Sure, their handwriting and eyesight could use some work, and they needed to slow down when speaking (they really had no tact and couldn't put their thoughts into words) and had a cute little tick, but they were well behaved and intelligent for someone with their condition.

 

As they later learned from the school nurse, little miss Potter had a milder form of dyspraxia, but was a better case then most dyspraxic children.

 

So, much to the Dursleys displeasure, Viper was a rather well liked individual in the town of Surrey. At least, by the adults. The younger generations hated the clumsy know-it-all, they called them freaky. Until Viper sent a kid to a therapist with only words when he called them that. After that incident, the kids avoided them like the plague.

 

Viper was rather pleased with that. They had to deal with annoying kids less that way.

 

They had only one friend. They met him when a few weeks before they turned eight. How they acquired him is not important, and Viper doesn't like to think of it. 

 

Their only friend was a strange yellow-and-white viper with red eyes and a habit of munching on his own tail. He was only a few weeks old when they met and befriended eachother. Much to Viper's delight, they found out they could talk to snakes and lizards quite easily. It was a skill which they heavily enjoyed.

 

(It truly proved that magic existed.)

 

He told them his name was Fantasma. 

 

They told him they wanted to be called Viper.

 

Fantasma was happy to comply.

 

(The day the Dursleys met Fantasma will forever be engraved in their mind as the funniest part of their childhood.)

 

(Dursley never tried to hit her after that.)

 

(Apparently, their snakey friend was poisonous. Who would've thought?)

 

So, despite their relatives best wishes and actions, Viper was content with her life and ruled them with an iron fist.

 

(They still did the cooking and gardening, mostly because none of the Dursleys could cook for shit, and they and Fantasma enjoyed the garden.)

 

(When Petunia grudgingly gave them their mother's old things, Viper called it a win.)

 

Then they turned nine, and an incident happened in which they acquired another friend, a special ability, and became aware of her other abilities.

 

It doesn't mean they were happy about it.

 

Especially why they learned their friend was with them.

 

(Whoever said Viper wasn't capable of murder is an idiot. They might be small, but they're vicious and know where to strike to make it hurt.)


	2. I don't know what to put here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listening to 'Angel With A Shotgun' – The Cab

§ ** _I ssssstill thinksssss you ssssshould've bitten the pigsssssiesssss_**.§ Their companion complained like a child. Viper couldn't fault him, he _was_ only a year old.

 

§I don't bite people, Fantasma.§ Viper let out a long-suffering sigh. This had been an issue with their reptilian friend for a long time. His first instinct was to bite people to death. Their's was to snark them to death.

 

Fantasma didn't like that.

 

§ ** _But pigsssssiesssss insssssulted yousssss_**!§ Even if snakes couldn't pout, Fantasma was doing a pretty damn good job about it. 

 

Viper rolled their eyes at the viper, who was curled up on his special rock.

 

They were glad that they couldn't trip over anything in their Special Corner in the library. After the fifth time they knocked over the same damn shelf the matron had enough, and instead of kicking them out, had her husband build the snake and human duo a special place equipped with a computer, rock, lamp, recliner with pillows and a blanket. 

 

According to the matron, they were a clumsy little shit, but an adorably dedicated one, so they might as well stay. As long as they stayed in their corner.

 

Viper flipped through their book of fairy tales (Grim Brothers edition). This was they fifth time they read it. 

 

§ ** _Yes, he did_**.§ They mumbled. § ** _But I already dealt with him. Acquiring his allowance of ninety two pounds, albeit small, will allow me to buy new clothes – maybe even some strawberries. And he can't pin it on me_**.§ They flipped to another page. § ** _The police wouldn't believe him_**.§

 

§ ** _But ssssstillsssss_**!§ Fantasma whined. He was protective of his Bonded and hated when something happened to them.

 

Viper sighed, placing the book down. § ** _Drop it, Fantasma. Go hunt or something. I'm going to the park to relax. You can find me there later._** § 

 

They stood up, ignoring their friend's complaints.

 

Viper avoided the other visitors as they walked to the exit, and they avoided her and her slithering and hissing friend in return. They've had over a year to get used to him, but since he was smart little Viper's snake, and after the fifth animal control group went missing, they accepted him rather well. He didn't cause any trouble.

 

Usually.

 

(Well, most of them accepted him. The total prissy and Dursley-ish shits, and hella devoted Christians did not. Apparently, the Christians saw her as the personification of Hell.)

 

(Viper liked that.)

 

(Even if they hounded Viper all the time and demanded they stopped their demonic ways.)

 

§ ** _Fine!_** § There was definitely a pout in his voice. Viper's lips twitched into a miniscule smile.

 

There was also the added bonus of the snake making the usually scowling Viper smile, so half of the town had no problem with the snake.

 

They parted ways at the entrance, with him going left and them going right. Thankfully for their sore feat, the park was only a few minutes away. They only tripped once and ended up with just a bruised knee and scratched hands. They were used to this happening, so they brushed it off and continued on their way.

 

The park was empty, which was not surprising seeing as most children would already be inside for lunch.

 

They were, as you know full well, not 'most children'. 

 

They climbed up a tree. It wasn't a very wise decision for someone as clumsy as them, but they perfected this skill when they were six years old and their 'uncle's' sister set her dog on them. 

 

Their eyes glinted cruelly. The next time Marge and her blasted dog came for a visit, they would be in for a surprise. A very... _unpleasant_ surprise.

 

The blood in her veins burned with fury as she thought of her relatives and what they did to her earlier this day. Fantasma was away hunting, so he hasn't heard of it. And Viper doesn't plan to tell him for a while yet. They hate their relatives with a passion, but they don't want to have them eaten or poisoned by a snake. 

 

_They want to do the fucking honours themselves._

 

(Three weeks later, Vernon will realise with a shock that the money in that bank account that the freak headmaster gave them went missing.)

 

(Viper would smile, a sickly sweet thing, when he turned to them. Their eyes would glitter with indigo and violet, hands glowing the same colour.)

 

While they were showering, their relatives took every piece of their boy clothing that they bought, bar the jeans and hoodie that were in the bathroom, and ripped every single piece to shreds.

 

When they asked about it (actually, demanded, a glint in their Avada Kedavra green eyes that promised **_pAiN_** ), their aunt told them plainly that she doesn't want "this stupid freakishness of your in my house, you brat! Act like a proper lady for once in your useless life! You're just like your mother, a _freak_!" 

 

Viper left after pushing over a cabinet with their aunt's favourite China, and made sure to lock their bedroom door so their relatives couldn't get in and destroy anything else of their's. Like their mother's old diaries for example.

 

They met up with Fantasma near a library, and they suppose their companion must've realised something bad had happened, because the next thing Viper knew, they were in the library. 

 

When Fantasma demanded to know what happened with his cute little tongue, Viper lied and told him Dudley insulted them. It wasn't a lie _per say_  – the Dursleys _did_ insult them with the little stunt they pulled.

 

(Besides, they pickpocketed their sneering cousin as they went.)

 

So five hours after that, Viper found themselves on a tree in Surrey Park, pondering about the Dursleys' punishments. 

 

Dudley will be easy – just steal all the money that's in his room, and spirit away all his sweets. Viper loved chocolate, and would _never_ pass up an opportunity to steal it. Dudley will have a temper tantrum after that, but Viper will remind him who is the _real_ boss in this house. Maybe some rats will do the trick. Dudley _hates_ rats.

 

As for Petunia, they already started on their revange by knocking over her most prized Chinas. Petunia will have a field day cleaning it up, and Viper won't lift a single finger to help. Not to mention, Viper will be returning the favour. If they remember correctly, their aunt's favourite dresses are the blue polka dot and the red one with petunias. Besides, the attic was easy to get into, and her wedding dress even easier.

 

And last, but not least, there was their dearest uncle Vernon, who tried to smack her as they left. He failed, and ended up with a sprained wrist and a dent in the wall. What they did to him has to be special – after all, he _was_ the originator of the plan if they had listened correctly. Maybe they should ask Lorenzo to send some thugs to smash his car, or even to deface his office. That _would_ be amusing, but not enough. Doesn't mean they won't do it, _they will_ , they just have to add something to his punishment.

 

They pondered for a few minutes, before a truly demonic smile spread over their lips. The look in their eyes would send any sane man running, and most likely the insane as well. 

 

Viper had a plan, a very, _very_ devilish plan.

 

Her 'uncle' hated anything freaky, right? So what would happen if Viper accessed their accidental magic (they remember it's easier to use when they're feeling desperate for something, and they were _priity_ desperate to see Vernon's face after that stunt) and turned the whole house (maybe) figuratively upside down? Turned the grass blue, the trees purple, and the outside of their house polka dot pink? They could even turn his clothes different, and ridiculous, colours as a bonus. 

 

They nodded. It was a plan. A perfectly demonic, _perfect_ plan that would piss any 'normal folk' off. 

 

Viper would've grinned, except...

 

"Hey, freak!" The only reason they didn't fall was because of their honed reflexes and skill in tree climbing. Their mood instantly took a sour turn as they recognised their bastard cousin's voice.

 

Oh, and look, he brought his 'gang' with him.

 

(Not really. Viper's seen gangs. They've talked to gangs. They've fucking _humiliated_ gangs. The group of brats was the farthest thing from a gang.)

 

Piers, Dennis, Gordon, Malcolm stood behind their cousin sneering at them. In all honesty, the only reason Dudley was the leader was because he was the biggest, so-called strongest, and dumbest of the lot.

 

"Myu~" Viper often wonders where they got the ridiculous tick mark from. They don't remember their parents having it. "Time is money. You're wasting my time. Get lost." Their patience was already running thin from the stunt the other Dursleys pulled, if these brat don't leave right now, Viper was going to do something that they would not regret.

 

Dudley turned an impressive shade of tomato. He must've gotten that from his father then. Vernon turns interesting colours at every of Viper's actions. 

 

(Viper is waiting for him to explode in rainbow splatter. The pictures would be pure gold.)

 

The other four boys' faces twisted into something ugly. They looked ready to murder the clinical nine year old. But they didn't. They stood behind Dudley looking quite smug with themselves.

 

Viper's eyes narrowed. Normally, they would go into a rant about how freakish 'she' is and how 'she' should go and die. But this time, they stayed silent. And smug. They shouldn't be smug.

 

Their grip tightened on the tree branch. Something about this was wrong. Something gripped their gut tight and wouldn't let go. A voice in their head was screaming for them to _get the hell out of here_.

 

Their sharp eyes noticed Dudley was holding something. A rock, easily the size of his fist. But why would he have a ro–...

 

The realisation hit them a little too late. Dudley proved his strength by throwing the rock eight meters into the air – right at Viper. He was grinning.

 

Gods, didn't he know what he was about to do? He was about to _kill_ them, and not even the people down in the Dark Sides grinned when they were about to do that. What kind of sick fuck was their cousin?

 

Or did he just not understand what murder and death was?

 

Yeah... That was more likely.

 

It was too late for Viper to move or use the accidental magic. They blanked for a moment there, and now they didn't have enough time to react. 

 

The rock smacked against their forehead, creating a shallow cut. The force of the throw thankfully didn't kill them, but it did tip them over the edge.

 

The tried to grab ahold of the branch, dutifully ignoring the mocking laughs of the children bellow, but just there luck – their clumsiness decided to give one last 'yo, I'm here to screw up your life' before they went SPLAT.

 

Great. Just great. They were going to die by a stupid fall from a tree. They expected shotguns and explosions or a war at the least. But death by stupid cousin? What a lame way to go...

 

The guys in Dark Sides are going to throw a fucking _fit_.

 

Viper's last thought was;

 

_Wait. Fantasma is going to eat them before the guys can get to them. I hope he has enough sense to let them suffer beforehand. But–wait a minute. Will my money come with me to the afterlife? I hope so – I nearly gave up a fucking arm and a leg to get it, so it better damn follow me to the grave._

 

They hit the ground with a sickening crack.

 

(They didn't get up.)

 

(The last thing they saw was the clouds before everything was drowned in purple and indigo.)

 

( _Weird_.)

 

* * *

 

The boys ran away grinning, happy that the freak was finally gone. No more having to deal with her stealing their money and food. No more having the teachers praise her and berate them. Their parents will take them out for cake!

 

They didn't comprehend the full meaning of their actions. They were still grinning like buffoons.

 

They just thought the freak would finally leave them alone.

 

(They were _so_ wrong.)

 

* * *

 

Elsewhere, our favourite little snake jerked to a start. For a minute, he wondered what was wrong. It was like his small little heart was wripped out and put for display in a fucking museum, and his little Bonded wasn't there to avenge his dea–

 

He came to a sickening realisation.

 

* * *

 

In a certain mafia school in _Italia_ , a teenager was pushed playfully, but ended up falling down a full story of stairs.

 

(She didn't get up.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conclusion: Dudley is an idiot and Viper really cares about their money. 
> 
> Hope you liked it. Just don't be expecting any more for a while. I have 3 German classes that start at 7 fucking am, not to mention I'm taking 9th grade classes coupled with my 8th grade ones in German to get my DSD diploma early.   
> Expect a lot of German. And sporadic updates. Sorry. But I have classes. And problems. A lot of those and dammit what did I want to say? 
> 
> Oh yeah. Beware some OCs and OOC. 
> 
> Feel free to give me questions and prompts and critics. I also thought about doing a Q&A corner with Viper. So send in questions.
> 
> Give me suggestions.
> 
> By the way, who spotted the little reference to another KHR character?
> 
> (Sorry I'm sporadic and unorganised and hyper I had kofola.)
> 
> My Tumblr, where I post unimportant random stuff: https://fallenniji.tumblr.com
> 
> Should I post this on Tumblr?


	3. A Talk Between Flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a brand new chapter from 'Survivor'! I'm so happy that you all like this guys. Sorry the update took so long to post, but our Physics teacher died, I got sick and we had lots of tests. But still, I'm so happy you guys like this. 
> 
> In this chapter, two new characters are introduced. One is newer than the other, even if she did make a brief cameo in the last chapter. 
> 
> I'm sorry for grammer and mistakes, I'm turning 14 on the 30th so you can guess my current age from that. I'm not a native speaker.
> 
> ~~~
> 
> Let The Flames Begin – Paramore

Viper woke up, feeling more empty than ever.

 

It was unexpected, of course. Because they were supposed to be dead, not in some train station.

 

They looked down. They weren't wearing their hoodie and jeans, which made the somewhat illegal informant disgruntled. Those were the only pieces of clothes their bastard relatives hadn't destroyed, and they damn well wanted to be in them. Hoodies were their safety blanket, without them, Viper was as lost as a babe.

 

(Imagine being shoved into a box and put on display for the whole world to see. That was how they felt.)

 

There was a reason they didn't like showing their eyes much. People always commented that they were 'freaky', 'disgusting', 'heartless', and her aunt even said that they were eyes of a killer.

 

They made sure their bangs were covering their eyes, straightening out their white shorts and T-shirt. Viper knew they were barefoot from the start, their feet were about to freeze off.

 

They glanced around, taking in their post-mortem location. Just like their clothes, the station was done in pale shades; white, lavender, baby blue, red. There was even a blindingly bright train. Benches were spread out along the wall.

 

After a moment of contemplation, they realised that they knew the station.

 

A few years ago, Vernon had to take the train to some other city (that Viper didn't bother memorising the name of) and they had to carry the fat bastard's luggage. It was King's Cross Station, but instead of the bright and busy station filled with screeching children and shoving, it was void of people and life.

 

"Myu~ Am I imagining things?" They wondered. It looked like King's Cross, despite the colour change, but it just seemed –  _off_.

 

Viper took one more look around, and wanted nothing more than to bang their head against the wall for being so stupid.

 

Of course it wasn't King's Cross! It was most likely the afterlife or the crossroads or something of that sort. They wouldn't know. They weren't the religious sort. Viper remembered their neck snapping, and the short burst of pain that followed it.

 

They were dead...

 

Huh. How strange. They thought they would be happy when they finally left that sick, sick world they were forced to live, but all they felt was... emptiness. They felt more tired and drained than ever before. It was like something was missing. Something important.

 

There was only one thing they could think of doing in this situation. It was an old trick Lorenzo taught them after he spotted flames flickering off their hand. They took a deep breath, and pulled their senses inwards.

 

Their magic was still the same, swirling in a large, luminescent blue tornado. Maybe less restrained and more _free_ , but that was it. They floated past it, looking for another power that was so _different_ from magic. Lorenzo had one, but his was a light blue colour instead of her orange-ish and indigo Flames. But they couldn't _feel_ them, they couldn't see or feel those bright orange flames that burst from their hands whenever they were particularly determined about something. All they could feel were the cooling indigo flames that they used more than once when 'punishing' people and collecting information. It almost felt like magic, but Viper knew it wasn't.

 

Still, the orange flames. They were gone. Vamoosed. Instead, there were purple flames that swirled and swam around in them, like a dance, trying to escape from their body and be free.

 

It was suffocating. Uncomfortable. No matter how they said it, Viper wanted their orange flames back and the purple ones to disappear, _befreeandleaveleaveleaveleave_.

 

"Oh, it doesn't look like you're taking this too well." A female voice cut into their silent panicking (first their hoodie and now their flames?), sounding disappointed and concerned. Viper was forced back into their body, stumbling from the sudden awareness.

 

"Wha–Ha–You–Why–My flames–!" They sputtered and fell on their behind, totally confused and _lost_.

 

The unknown sighed, crouching down, a hand held out to do _something_ (maybe touch their hair or hold their cheek). Her hair was pulled into a messy braid that was thrown over her shoulder. Emerald green eyes (so much like their own but _oh so different_ ) crinkled in a sad kind of happiness.

 

Viper first registered the smell of thunder and storms and wild lilies.

 

Their second was; _oh, hey that's my mother_.

 

The third was, _hoLy sHiT tHat'S mY MoTHeR_.

 

"Mother?" Viper gaped, hopeful and terrified and shocked all rolled into one.

 

Lily Potter smiled. "Hello Aster. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

 

Their eyes stung, and Viper tried very hard to hold in their tears. How embarrassing would it be to cry in front of their _mother?_  Crying was a sign of weakness, and Viper... Viper didn't want one of their important people to see them cry, to be _weak_.

 

Lily's smile faltered.

 

"I'm sorry," she grimaced, her outstretched hand falling to her lap. "I know this must be a shock for you... But I just really want to hug you once. Can I?" There was something about her tentative, hopeful, question that made Viper's eyes soften.

 

Why was their mother asking them such a _stupid_ question? Of course she could hug them! She didn't even need to ask for permission.

 

Before they knew it, Viper lunged to pull their _precious_ mother into a tight hug that had Lily letting out a surprised laugh. Viper burrowed their face in her stomach, arms tightening into a Sasagawa Ryōhei strength hug.

 

Lily looked at her daughter (but then again, her daughter was sometimes her son and other times her child, was she not?) with a tenderness only mothers could produce. She ran her fingers through their (she will respect her daughter's wishes) hair. Or, at least, she tried to. Her fingers kept getting stuck in tangles.

 

(Honestly James, what is wrong with your family's hair?!)

 

Viper didn't seem to mind. In fact, they practically melted into her hold. The place they had their face was suspiciously wet, but Lily didn't say a word and just smiled at finally meeting her child.

 

"I've missed you so much, my little blueberry." Lily wasn't ashamed to admit that her own eyes weren't all that dry when faced with her eager and curious daughter.

 

(To this day, Lily is one of the eight people that have called her blueberry and lived (somewhat, in half of those cases) to tell the tale. Unhumiliated that is.)

 

"Myu~ D-Don't call me blu-blueberry." Viper hiccuped, but there was no heat behind their words. This was their mother, their precious self-sacrificing mother who for Morgana's sake gave her life up for them, so she can damn well call them whatever she wants.

 

Lily chuckled. "The first time your father called you that you nearly bit his finger off, y'know." Viper's breath hitched, but she continued. "He still has a little white scar on his pinkie finger. When people ask him about it he always says he got it in a duel, but I always correct him."

 

Viper ~~_giggled_~~ chuckled. "Th-That sounds exactly like him from what I remember." They leaned away from Lily, much to her disappointment. At least she was still in her arms.

 

Viper's eyes were suspiciously puffy and red. Lily smiled. It showed that her child cared for her.

 

"Myu~ This means I'm dead, right?" Lily did not like the hopeful tone of her child not one bit. It was too wrong for a child her age to have such an old voice.

 

"Not exactly," Lily fiddled with her ~~_daughter's_~~ child's hair.

 

Viper's eyes sharpened. They looked up at their mother through their bangs. "Myuga. What is that supposed to mean?"

 

The redhead winced, letting go of her child.

 

(Viper was not disappointed. Nope. Not at all.)

 

"Look under that bench, and you'll have your answers."

 

Viper came to the conclusion that conversations with their mother are more confusing than conversations with Fantasma.

 

(And trust them, the only reason they haven't ripped their hair out is because Fantasma has the cute-lost puppy vibe about him.)

 

So they looked under the bench she was pointing at, and reeled back in disgust. Because under there layed a curled up baby that reminded them of a cross between one of those hairless cats and a wrinkled old hag. It was pitiful, really.

 

"What the hell is that?" They didn't know their voice could reach such volumes. But then again, they _are_ related to Petunia Dursley.

 

"That," Lily grimaced and tugged her ~~_dau_~~ child away from it, "is what was in your scar. Synonyms include coward, Voldemort, bitch and crazy as a cockatoo. Don't associate with that."

 

"But you told me to look, myuga!" Viper didn't know what was going on anymore. They just wanted some peace and quiet and maybe even some strawberries, because there was only so much they could take.

 

Lily eyed them critically. "I hope you haven't caught anything being near it. I heard insanity is contagious."

 

"That's besides the point, mother! What I want to know is what that–that _thing_ is, and what it has to do with my scar! Myuga!" Their hand flew up to their forehead, and with a start they realised that the scar wasn't as deep as it had been before.

 

"Well, I don't know the full story, but what I do know is that Voldemort split his soul into seven – or was it six? – pieces, and one of them got lodged into you. The art of separating the soul and putting them into objects is called creating Horcruxes. I don't know much about them myself. Later, once you enter the Wizarding World, you can search them up in old books."

 

"Myuga. How disgusting." They shuddered. "But what does that have anything to do with my question."

 

"Basically, when Voldemort split his soul, he lodged a part of himself into you, making you have two souls. Usually when you die, Death only collects one soul a a body that was connected to it. Since you have two souls, when you died only one was collected while the other was left 'untouched'." She explained, and Viper tried to understand it, they really did, but their mother wasn't very good at explaining things.

 

"So basically I'm still alive and I have to go back to that hellhole?" She sneered, not at all happy with that prospect.

 

Lily didn't want to lie to ~~_her_~~ them, but this was her only child. She didn't want to see them for another few centuries. Lily's a mother who would do anything to protect her child, even make them live a life they didn't want. She just hopes that Aster will forgive her.

 

"Yes," she smiled, and it hurt.

 

Viper didn't notice the lie, too engrossed with the idea of returning to life. How would it feel to return to life? Would it hurt or would it be like waking up? What about their broken neck? Would they have to set it? Or would it be back to normal on its own?

 

"I see," they lost their small smile. "They I best be going then." The stood up and dusted their clothes.

 

"Myu!" They jerked. They forgot something. Something important. "The flames! Do you know something about them?" They carefully kept the desperation out of their voice.

 

"I'm not good at explaining, but Aster," she looked her only child in the eye. "Those orange flames you are thinking about... They won't come back. I'm sorry, but they became too broken, too discorded, when you died. You can learn more about it when you go talk to that Lorenzo man you love to scare so much. But what I do know, is that those flames are an extension of your soul, and when you die they fade away or leave your body. Voldemort's soul shard was almost fully connected to your own soul, and those orange flames latched onto it partially, so that when you died, the orange flames were cracked and shattered beyond repair." She bowed her head, trying not to look at her child's carefully masked despair.

 

"Someone mentioned to me that another flame will take the place of the flames that you lost, and your primary will become even stonger." She added, hoping that the information would make her child less miserable.

 

And Viper... Viper didn't know what to think. The thought of returning to life was never something they dreamed about or even wished would happen to them. They were content with dying whenever they did. It would make no difference. After all, the only friend they had was Fantasma, and even they knew that he blamed them for his mother's death.

 

Viper didn't like that they didn't have a choice about their future. They wanted to die, but since Death only takes one soul, that wish wouldn't come true for at least a decade. There was no way that their mother would lie to them. She was their _mother_.

 

So, Viper concluded that the reason their death is postponed is Voldemort.

 

(The seeds of hate were planted, slowly growing...)

 

And those flames... If there was something they regretted the most, then it was losing those bright flames that saved them on more than one occasion. They were warm and bright and they always helped them when they needed it.

 

(Viper remembered one such instance when Vernon locked her out in winter. The only reason they aren't a vipersicle is for those flames. Those flames that would never appear again.)

 

"I... See." They sighed. They wanted to get out of here before the dam burst and they embarrassed themselves in front of their mother.

 

"Before you leave, can I tell you some advice? I rock-paper-scissored my way against James into meeting you, because if he was left with the duty of telling you our advice, it would mostly be about pranking Slytherins and Severus." Lily chuckled, but her eyes were sad when she mentioned this 'Severus'.

 

Viper wondered who 'Severus' was.

 

"Of course you can," they would never deny their mother of this.

 

"Okay," she breathed in. "Okay," she licked her dry lips, looking more nervous than Viper had ever remembered her. "Well, I should start by advising you to not enter the Wizarding World until your eleventh birthday. It'd open up a can of worms no one is ready to deal with. People would question you, and Dumbledore would investigate you thoroughly on how you found out about our world when he made sure you hadn't. And there are somethings that you don't want anyone to find out about, I suppose." Viper's cheeks turned pink. From the way she spoke, it was as if she knew of of their less than legal (and safe) activities. She didn't, right..?

 

(They honestly didn't give a fuck if anyone else found out about them, but her parents... they wanted the two to be proud of them.)

 

She remembered who Dumbledore was, just barely. He was the headmaster of that magical school (what was it called again? Hogywartys? Hogwarts? No... That's right, it was Pigpimples! What a strange name for a school.) and too meddling for his own good. He was also the one who placed them with their relatives.

 

Viper remembered a time when they almost ripped a piece of that annoyingly long bears off his chin. They smirked. _Those were the days..._

 

(If you hadn't noticed, Viper doesn't like the meddling old fool very much.)

 

"Make sure to humiliate everyone who pisses you off, 'kay? You have the genes of three pranksters in your veins, so use your head wisely." She quirked a grin. "Thank Morgana you got my brain instead of your father's. I love him, _buuut_ , he isn't the smartest of stags." She shrugged.

 

"Myu," Viper smiled. It was small, but still a smile nonetheless. They remembered their father's antics and how their mother tended to react about them. Let's just say, if Lily had a weapon, it would definitely be a frying pan.

 

"You don't have to have many friends – and quite frankly with your personality you're sooner going to piss them off than get them to like you." Their mother's shoes are rather nice. Viper wonders where she bought them from? Afterlife a la Boots? Did that even exist? "Just – Just make sure they're loyal and actually care about you, not just about your status and money."

 

Both their thoughts flashed through reasons; Viper for their money and accurate ability to find people, and Lily for her child's status as the Girl-Who-Lived.

 

"Find yourself a man – or woman, or other – who you can count on, and who will love you. Don't chose a bad person who will drop you quicker than James and cats." Lily smiled. "He or she has to be willing to fight for you. But don't chose someone like your father – you'll just get endless headaches that way." From her expression it seems she's speaking from experience. And she probably is, knowing James.

 

"Uh – and here are just some tips from your mother and father; eat lots and lots of healthy food, not just meat and fat. Fish is good for you too. Don't stay up all night, and if you have to, sleep at least twice a week Aster!" She sent her child (Lily ignored the voice that whispered Aster hadn't been her child since she died – and with everything they've lived through she wasn't even _sure_ Aster could be considered a child) stern look.

 

Viper wondered how their mother knew about their insomnia.

 

"And no Muggle alcohol until you're at least seventeen, and I mean it! You wouldn't _believe_ how many times I caught James and his friends sneaking wine into our dorms!" She huffed, hands placed on her hips.

 

Lily didn't say anything about magical alcohol.

 

"And this is from your father and I didn't have any intention of telling you this, but he wants me to let you know to befriend Fred and George Weasley."

 

"Who?" They did not like not knowing things.

 

"Just some pranksters that attend Hogwarts. He wants you to partner up with them and prank Severus." Viper opened her mouth to question who this 'Severus' was (their mother mentioned them at least twice!), but Lily beat them to the punch. " _Don't_. Unless he deserves it. He might be an arse, but he's still my friend." Lily sent them a warning look.

 

"And – er, I don't know how to breach this topic, but – we know you're involved in some, well, not very legal business." Viper carefully schooled their features into a neutral outset, preparing for disownment and disgust. "And the auror side of James wants to slap you upside the head, but he's a chaos loving man, so he wants to tell you to cause pandemonium in both the Muggle, Magical and Illegal worlds. I have to agree with him." She shrugged.

 

Behind their bangs, liquid Avada Kedavra eyes widened. They expected their parents to disown them for their illegal activities, not tell them to 'go for it'! What kind of people tell their nine year old to 'cause pandemonium'?

 

(Not that Viper isn't going to, it's just, Lily and James are their  _parents_.)

 

"You know," Lily's voice was bland. "We aren't saints. We did some pretty illegal things back when we were kids. James even nearly killed Severus!" There it is again, this 'Severus'. With the way she talks about him, Viper suspects that they were more than friends. They also wondered what their mother did that was considered illegal.

 

"And we know _why_  you entered That World. If we were in the same position, we would've done the same thing. Probably. Most likely. I think?" Viper nearly tripped over themselves. "One day, hopefully, you will stop having to do the things you do, but until then, do what makes you happy. And if this is what makes you happy, then do it." She looked like saying those words pained her.

 

Viper didn't like doing what they did. But they still did it because they had to. It wasn't fun. It didn't fill them with satisfaction. It was just one of the things they had to do. They didn't tell their mother that.

 

Lily wiped away her tears, attempting a smile. "James and I will love you. Always. Do not ever suspect otherwise, and give anyone who says so a good slap for me, 'kay?" She winked, eyes wet. "There's a lot I want to tell you, but if I continue I won't be able to stop." Her breath hitched. "Please, _please_ , don't let me see you until you've lived a long and healthy life. That's the only thing I want from you."

 

Viper breathed in deeply, and brought their mother into a hug. Lily looked surprised, but the surprise soon melted into relief and _love_. Viper never liked human contact, but Lily was different. She was their mother, and they'd be damned if they didn't let her hug them one last time.

 

Viper pulled away. "Thank you, mother." They smiled softly. "I'll try to listen to your advice." They would try, but they know they wouldn't be able to do everything.

 

"No, thank you, blueberry." Lily took a step back. "For allowing me to talk to you one last time. And I hope you can forgive me someday."

 

"Forgi–" They blinked. But Lily was already gone. They wondered how that was possible. They didn't have much time to think on it, because suddenly there was air in their lungs and their head _ached_ and neck _burned._

 

" _Gutenmorgen, Mädchen. Du siehst aus wie die Hölle._ " An amused voice commented. Viper groaned, grabbing their neck. They held it in front of their face. Great, there was blood. That was never a good thing. 

 

" _Halo, bist du hier_?" Someone snapped to get Viper's attention. The child looked up. And stared.

 

The German ghost (Because what else could she be? She was floating for Morgana's sake! And she was _transparent_.) stared at her with a smirk. Viper's sure they had never met her. After all, a girl with fang like marks on her cheeks would be hard to forget.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Gutenmorgen, Mädchen. Du siehst aus wie die Hölle." — Good morning, girl. You look like hell.
> 
> "Halo, bist du hier?" — Hello, are you here? (Meant in a 'Earth to Viper' way, since I was translating it from Slovak to German.


End file.
